The Black Widow and the Monster
by Peacockwonders
Summary: A super assassin finds herself meeting an unlikely friend in the mysterious man named Bruce Banner. In their efforts to save the earth, something more just might happen...
1. The meeting

**Hi, this is my first time publishing a story here! But I'm really excited about this story and I think it's going to be alot of fun!  
****Since I have to do a buildup of the relationship between Bruce and Natasha, the first chapter is going to be based very much off the movie, considering they show us their first meeting. However, some very unique ideas will crop later on! Please read on and any comments or reviews would be greatly appreciated!**

I am Natasha Romanoff and this is my story. I'm not a story teller, I don't poetize everything. The facts are out there, but emotions…I don't know. They're tricky to manage. You see, years and years of being an agent, the very best of course, of SHIELD has taught me to turn my heart to stone, and cast trivial things such as feelings aside. My life was run by the very bare amount of emotions: fear. I was scared that I would never be secure, scared that I won't accomplish a mission, scared that I would fail. Whenever I succeed, and I always do, all that I feel is relief. Can you imagine a life like that? Not many could. Then one day, I met another whose fears seemed greater than mine, and for once, I started to think not only for myself. Hey, don't judge me. Self-preservation is the most innate characteristic of a human being. Anyways, back to my story. The story of Bruce and I. Oh, and I suppose the Hulk makes his presence known throughout…

The first time I met Dr. Bruce Banner was in the slums of Calcutta, India. Unlikely meeting place, I know, but I was on a mission and determined to get this over with quickly. I had to convince Dr. Banner to come join SHIELD once again in our fight to protect the Earth.

Calcutta, India

Carefully I wait behind the partition in the room, not wanting to alarm Dr. Banner when he entered the shabby hut. Suddenly, the young girl I hired to lure Banner into the shack ran through the miniscule room and out the back window. He's here.

Walking slowly into the room, Banner pauses near a pole, seeing no sign of the girl he had followed to the outskirts of the city. I can't help but give leeway to a small smile as I imagined what his thoughts must be on this now apparent trap.

"For a man looking to avoid stress, you sure picked a hell of a place to settle," I say as I step out of the shade.

Almost nonchalantly, he turns to face me and I see his face for the first time. Bearing no signs of the hidden monster inside of him, he was a pleasant looking man, if slightly burnt from the hot Indian sun, and graying hair. He was not breathtaking or knee-weakening handsome, but he wasn't ugly either. But I ended my quick scan of him at his eyes and saw something there so repulsive that my already heightened nerves only grew keener. I resisted impulse to back away from this unknown danger. My ever present fear was at an all-time high, but I let my face betray no emotion, keeping it calm and carefree as though this was just a chat between polite friends. This was no man to toy with.

"Avoiding stress isn't the secret." He stated blandly. I couldn't help but be impressed with his confidence. But this also increased my wariness.

"Then what is it…yoga?" I say with a smirk. Good, a smile. Smiling shows confidence. If he's not scared, then I won't let him know how terrified I am right now.

He chuckled and moved to a window, peering out. "So I assume you have the whole place surrounded? And you've brought me to the edge of the city. Smart." _How is he so carefree? _

"Just you and me," I lie. There is no way he could have seen the dozen or so men lurking around the bushes in the dark night. And right now I needed to show the doctor that I am capable of handing myself. No need to let him know of my backup plan if this didn't go along the way I wanted…

"And who are you?" He asked. So he was curious after all. I was starting to think he was bored.

"Natasha Romanoff. From SHEILD." I reply. "We need you to come back. We are in a dire global emergency and need your help. The tesseract is missing and in the hands of a man who is capable of horrors we don't want to imagine. With your expertise in gamma radiation, you become the best candidate for this job."

"So Fury doesn't want the other guy." The statement was asking for clarification.

"Not that I know of." I tense up a bit internally at the mention of the monster. This was a touchy topic for the doctor and I had to carefully tread around it.

"Why should I come back? To my wonderful old cage?" He asked, bitterness ringing in every word.

"We won't put you in a cage, Doctor-"

"STOP LYING TO ME!" He slammed his fists on the table with a force that didn't match his seemly tired body. I jumped into autopilot and yanked the safety gun underneath the table. There was weaponry all over the place in case I need it. Not wasting a moment, my gun was pointed straight at the dangerous man before me, suddenly calm in demeanor and not a hint of the previous anger that was present only moments before.

Then suddenly, he broke into a sheepish grin and said, "I'm sorry. That wasn't nice of me. I just wanted to see what you would do."

I was shocked. And _angry._ I could easily have shot him! And that, if nothing else, would d_efinitely_ have unleashed the monster. Who the hell did he think he was to try to push me around like that? I was tempted to press the trigger anyway and was formulating the escape plan from the Hulk when he raised his arms in a sign of surrender and peace.

"Natasha, put down the gun before you do something that we both regret. I don't want the other guy to make a mess of this place. And you don't want your pretty face to get hurt now do you? Let's do this the easy way." He said, reading into my hesitancy to yield my weapon. I stared right into his eyes, letting him know that I was not pleased with his demeaning remarks and that I wasn't just some stupid little girl. And who cares if he thinks I'm pretty...

"Natasha," he whispers. At my name, I slowly lower my weapon.

I put the gun down and speak into my earpiece, "Stand down, we're good here."

"Just you and me…" He says, that awful bitterness once again ringing in every word. But beneath it, I also saw a hint of humor. It was my turn to give a sheepish shrug as I thought, s_o he knows how to joke, huh…_

"I had to do what I had to do." I state blandly. It's true. It would have been stupid to come alone to an unknown danger and even more stupid to come to a person who could morph into a destructive, uncontrollable monster.

"So do I." With that, he stepped closer to me, and I took a step back. I bumped into the wall behind me, and I was startled, more by the fact that I was not aware of my surroundings. _That is not allowed to happen._ This whole time, our eyes remained locked, as thought each trying to predict the other's movement. Once again, I saw that repelling glint in his eyes and suddenly, he was pressed into me, he mouth crushing into mine. I was already getting ready to fight back, I am a highly trained agent afterall, but suddenly he was gone. It was as though the kiss, (the kiss?), had never happened and another person had never been in this room.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I slowly walked out. A car was ready for me to take my back to the hotel. I climbed in. The agent driving the car said, "Dr. Banner said he'll meet us at the airport tomorrow morning."

My mind went blank. So I was supposed to spend who knows how long in close proximity to this mysterious and dangerous man. Let the fun begin…

**So there it is! The first chapter! The second one will be coming up soon :) Any reviews will be greatly appreciated!**


	2. Not Sorry

I sighed and leaned my head back on the head rest. The car's low hum as it made its way through the dark had a calming effect on me and I was able to let my thoughts go where they may. _He kissed me_. No matter in what light I tried to shed on this occurrence, it resulted into nothing more than that. Well, besides it being a complete assault on me of course. The thing that troubled me the most what the lack of response I had. First of all, I was not aware of my surroundings; I was totally taken by surprise, and quite honestly…didn't feel like I needed to defend myself. Huh… who knew? By attacking me, Dr. Banner made me feel…safe. I grimaced, I did not like where this was heading _at all. _ And I'm so stupid! Why should that make me feel good? _No, NOT GOOD. Safe…stick to safe. We can handle safe. Feeling good? Not so much._

Whatever my feelings were, I knew what I should do. And that was to be cold and distant to this apparently impulsive man. And I had a right to be angry! After all, I might be highly self sufficient agent of SHEILD, but that did not mean I was not a woman and should not be treated so.

Working myself in a right state by the time I reached my hotel, I was agitated and restless. Then I froze as I had a sudden thought. What was I doing? I am the Black Widow, the one that can get information out of any reluctant person and never flinches away from danger. I may have fear in my heart, but I also have enough courage to overshadow it. Speaking with purpose, I told the driver to turn around and take me back to where Banner lived.

As we approached the slums once more, I got off the car a safe distance away and walked the rest of the way. I knew my way perfectly, I had done my research. Seeing his building, which was in poor state, I slipped in through the back door and climbed to the top most level, where Banner resided. The door was locked, but that meant nothing to me. Slipping my hair pin out of my hair and letting my tresses fall freely, I picked the lock silently and let myself in. I stepped into the room and saw that it was a modest place of two rooms, and a door that must lead to a bathroom. One of the rooms, the one that you encountered first, performed as a sitting room I suppose. Walking further along, I came into the second room, which was clearly a kitchen.

I heard the door to what I assumed was the bathroom open and I lightly stepped behind the counter in the kitchen, keeping myself out of the immediate line of sight of the man entering the room. It was Banner and he had changed into worn pajamas and was shirtless. The heat of this land justified that I supposed. I was surprised that he was actually muscular. Maybe not nearly as much as Captain America, but more so like Tony Stark. He walked forward and approached the sofa-esque set and pulled it out to make a bed. This whole time, his back was to me. Getting bored of just watching him, I spoke, "Don't get too comfortable, Doctor."

He froze and slowly straightened. Equally slowly, he turned around to face me. "Wow, you really are good at sneaking up on people."

"Or maybe you're just oblivious," I said, not in the mood to accept any compliments.

"Ouch, that hurts my feelings Natasha." He joked.

"Agent. Agent Romanoff to you," I stated coldly. He raised his eyebrows in surprise but kept silent. I moved out from behind the counter and walked closer to him, stopping about four feet away. "Which brings me to the reason why I am here. I want an apology."

"An apology? What for?" Here he truly looked confused.

"For that…that…assault right before you left." I struggled to spit the words out.

"Assault…?"

_God he was making this so damn difficult. _

"Yes, assault." I replied stubbornly.

"Oh you mean the _kiss_!" He said laughing, and took a step toward me. I stood my ground but watched him warily.

"The action itself is not what makes it a kiss. You have to feel something. And I needed to respond. None of which happened therefore it doesn't get to be called a kiss. So assault it is." I replied, feeling proud of my argument.

"I see…did you get hurt by the kiss?" He asked. "Like physically injured?"

"It wasn't a kiss…but no." I gave reluctantly.

"And did you feel insulted when you saw that I wanted to kiss you?" He pushed.

"Uhm…no…not in that technical sense I suppose," I wasn't too happy with how this conversation was going.

"And in actuality, I gave you a compliment by showing that I wanted to kiss you, right?" He went on.

"Uhm…"

He walked toward me, filling in the space but standing a respectful distance from me. He raised his hand and I stiffened as I saw it come closer to my face. My nervousness turned to further surprise when he stroked my cheek and placed his head next to my ear. I didn't expect this, but I saw no danger to myself so I remained as I was.

"Therefore, it is not an assault Agent Romanoff. The only thing I am sorry for is that you think I didn't feel anything and that you didn't respond, Natalia Romanova." He whispered in my ear. I felt goose bumps allover as I heard my real name spoken out loud for the first time in so many years. And I suppose his proximity didn't exactly help my nervousness. I needed to get out of there.

I stepped back from him, looking him straight in the eyes, keeping mine narrowed. I walked past him and let myself out. I needed the long walk to the car to think. And a nice long hot shower was called for, I think.

**This is kind of a shortish chapter, but I wanted to develop their relationship before they quite get to the ship. I have pretty fun stuff planned for these guys, keep reading :) Comments and suggestions are always appreciated! **


	3. Start Over

**Thank you so much for the reviews and alerts, they mean so much! As suggested, I moved this story to the movies category, hopefully that'll make things easier I am so sorry for the slow updates, they're a pet peeve of mine too and I promise to post faster!**

Somehow, I made it back to the car in one piece and the rest of the night passed away in a blur. I was stressed about the danger with the tesseract, surprised by this strange new man that I just met and alarmed by the way he always seemed to catch me off guard. Needless to say, I was intrigued.

The next morning, I was in my crisp and clean uniform, ready to go. I was also well aware of the way the outfit hugged my curves in a manner that distracted many men and even women around me. Whether intentional or not, SHEILD sure did know how to make their agents look good in their clothes. So, confident in my appearance and putting on the cold front I was quite famous for, I prepared to meet Banner once again. I chose not to wait for him outside and simply waited in the jet. One of the other agents would lead him here.

I lounged in one of the chairs, quite unaccustomed to just sitting in a plane…I was usually the one flying it. I idly picked up a magazine and flipped through it, vaguely taking in tips on how to get 'the perfect smoky eye' or 'best beach hair'. Oh yea, those will definitely be useful on my endeavors…

I stiffened slightly when I heard the plane's door open up and Dr. Banner walked through. This was a private plane after all and he immediately saw me. I, however, chose to not acknowledge his appearance and continued 'reading' my magazine. He chose the seat directly across from me and sat down without a word. And I continued reading…

The plane took off and after at least thirty minutes, I couldn't keep in my curiosity any longer and peeked up from my reading material. He was looking straight at me with a slight smile on his face. When he saw me make eye contact, his smile grew wider and he gave a little wave. It was almost comical to be honest.

"Hi, agent." He said.

I hesitated but gave in. "Hello." I had the pleasure of giving him suspicious looks though. I think they made him feel ashamed of himself because he finally leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and resting his face on his palms.

He then spoke, "So, I know we didn't get off to a great start…how about we do it over?"

I just looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He continued to have that sheepish little smile. Sometimes he just reminded me of a little boy. But with a jolt, I realized for the first time since I first met him, I felt fear again. To have that much potential danger in the hands of a boy? My life could be at risk! However, I gave no sign of my lightning quick thoughts and patiently waited for him to continue. This _was_ interesting.

He cleared his throat and stood up, holding out his hand. "Hi, I'm Dr. Bruce Banner, and you are?"

I considered him for a moment, debating on whether or not I should just leave him hanging there. After all, he gave no appropriate apology for his assault on me and even tried to justify it as a compliment. But, he did seem sincere in his desire to start over and why not? The kiss had been harmless and I suppose it had been flattering that he attempted to kiss me. Unless of course he just goes around kissing every girl that seems to be remotely attractive. However, I pushed that thought aside and cautiously stood up, mirroring his stance. Finally, I let out a grudging smile and said, "Hey. I'm Natasha Romanoff. Or as not many know of me, Natalia Romanova. How did you find out about that by the way?" We shook hands and sat back down, this time me not bothering to pick up that pathetic magazine again and finally taking note of his appearance. He was in a neat purple button up shirt and brown, worn out pants. It was as though everything he owned was always a little bit worn out.

"I am a scientist, and I have traveled the world Ms. Romanoff. Your last name suggested Russian origins. I stayed in Russia for a while and picked up some cultural common sense there and one of the tidbits I found out was the Romanoff was mostly just an inside joke played on those who don't know Russian customs and that Russian families use different endings for female or male names. And Natalia was a guess. And a good one apparently." Here he smiled lightly.

I was stunned to say the least. I was not aware of his extensive outside knowledge or his ability to come to such accurate deductions. Mostly, people don't even care. And I was impressed by his courage, if he had been completely off the mark, it would have been terribly embarrassing. "Very clever Doctor. Very clever," I said.

"Bruce, you may call me Bruce," He corrected.

I hesitated once again; did I really want to allow him to have the authority of using my first name as well? I looked into his rather innocent looking face until once again I was met with that glint of danger in his eyes. That seemed to make my decision, as if a challenge had been made and I was accepting it. "Alright. I suppose you could call me Natasha. Agent Romanoff would take too long to say anyways. And I would rather not have too many other people knowing about my real name by the way…"

"Agreed," He nodded his head once and continued to look at me.

I picked up my laptop and started to fill myself in on all that I may have missed. I noticed his gaze hadn't left me and casually commented, "You know, in many countries, Russia or otherwise, it is considered highly creepy to stare so intensely."

He smiled and gave no sign of any embarrassment at being caught. Then again, he wasn't exactly being sneaky about it. "I'm just trying to figure you out, Natasha." My smile vanished immediately and my guard was back up in a flash. Knowledge meant power. And the more power he had over me, the weaker I was. _And I don't like being weak. _

"Don't. Don't try." I said, the teasing tone completely gone from my voice.

He just looked at me, the sudden change of tone surprising him, but he didn't look affronted. On the other hand, he just looked more intrigued.

The rest of the plane ride we spent in relative silence. I gave him a file that included all the information he needed to know on the rest of his team members and he grew absorbed in that. I switched from studying him, to looking out the window, to lazily catching up on my own laptop. Within a few hours, we landed on ship and I was told to remind Coulson of his obligation elsewhere. Something told me he would need the reminder in order to pull him away from his idol, Captain America.

**Yayyy…we're finally on the ship! I get to introduce other characters! I'm not really going to focus on the battle too much, I feel like we've been over and over it so much that we could probably relate all the events by heart now, no? And besides, this is mostly a Natasha/Bruce ship so I want to focus on them I can't wait to get started on the real romance between these two! You guys are going to be in for a roller coaster! And I have a surprise up my sleeve, so stay tuned! And as always, reviews are always appreciated and thank you so much for the stuff you guys have already sent!  
To make up for my slow updates, I'll try to get another chapter up tonight! More reviews = more motivation for me!**


	4. Getting Started

I looked over the vast runway of the hellicarrier and found my way to the plane that just dropped off Captain America and Agent Coulson. I looked back once to see if Bruce was following me, and upon confirming that he was, I quickened my pace and got to the two men now descending from the plane. Reaching them, I crossed my hands behind my back and nodded to Coulson saying, "They need you on the bridge. They're starting the face trace." He nodded in response and headed off inside.

I turned to the abnormally large man standing next in front of me and just looked at him. He held out his hand and said, "Hello Ma'am. I'm Captain Rogers."

I shook his hand and responded with, "Hi. I'm agent Romanoff." I turned around and started walking backwards. Bruce was nowhere to be seen and I assumed he got lost a little further back. I better find him now before he ends up in a hole somewhere…  
I look to Rogers and nudge my head to indicate him to follow me. "So, it was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. Thought Coulson was gonna swoon." I looked at him sideways with a light smirk on my face. Rogers had a casual smile on his face, as thought he was used to his type of treatment. Of course he is. Last thing he knew, the whole world was obsessed with him and he had the status of a movie star. Ouch, grandpa is in for a little hurt. "Did he ask you to sign his Captain American trading cards yet?" I went on teasing.

His smile grew wider too, both in pleasure and a little surprise, "Trading cards?"

We continued walking forward and I saw Banner walking toward us, looking quite lost in all the military hustle and bustle. "They're vintage. He's very proud." Steve looked up at this point and also saw the harried looking man before us. Recognition lit his face and he called out, "Doctor Banner!" He held out his hand for a handshake. Dr. Banner, who had paused to look at a plane curiously turned around and saw us. I stopped a little way off so that the two men could have their introduction and just watched.

"Yea, hi, yea," Banner said, sounding as though he was not really interested in meeting in people, famous American heros or not. "They told me you'd be coming." He squinted his face up slightly to see Captain's face. I frowned slightly, I hadn't realized that Banner could be seen as short…or maybe it was just Captain's insane height that made him look smaller.

"Word is you can find the Tesseract," Captain continued. I suppose he was trying to warm up to the doctor. I gave in to a small smirk. Oh little did he know of Bruce's _crazy_ personality. And I don't just mean the Hulk that could be unleashed. Just the way Banner's mind works is so complicated that I get a headache just trying to even imagine what is going on in there.

"Is that the only word on me?" Bruce asked, bringing me back to reality. He voice was challenging and I knew he was testing the Captain to see if he was scared of him, or was judging him. After all, it was _his_ serum that he was trying to duplicate.

Captain, staying true to his famous gentlemanly manner, stated, "Only word I care about." I turned around, pretending to survey the base around me in order to hide my smile from Bruce. By the time I turned around, I saw them walk a little towards the edge of the ship. I followed along and spoke up just as Captain finished saying something, "…kind of familiar."

"Gentlemen, you might want to step inside in a minute. Its…going to get a little hard to breathe," I said with a small smile. God, I love knowing things that other people don't. Captain had a confused little look on his face and Bruce seemed to knowing what was going. At the very least, he looked apprehensive and a little resigned. The machines whirred louder than ever and the activity around deck increased. Both men looked around, curious to see what was happening.

"Is this a submarine?" Asked Captain, wonder laced in every word.

"Really." Bruce answered, sarcasm describing his whole tone. He stepped closer to where the engines are and watched the slowly rising propellers. "They want me in a submerged, pressurized metal container?" I could hear the smile in his voice and I couldn't help but follow them as they inched closer to the edge. So this man was nervous about being trapped, despite all his humor and nonchalance. We all looked over as the engines slowly raised, the water falling through. As they rose, so did the ship in a graceful motion. It was breathtaking to watch, really, and I couldn't help but wonder what Captain must be thinking right now. I looked over and saw his face, awestruck and mouth slightly open. After we had risen a good 10 feet from the water and it was apparent where we were headed, Bruce said dryly, "No, no, this much worse." But when he turned around, I saw that he had a resigned smile on his face.

We walked inside the main room saw all the agents walking around with purpose, trying to make sure the helicarrier's engines and systems were all working properly. Maria was barking out orders as usual and Fury was standing over like an ominous presence watching everything. Once he ordered the reflection panels opened, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was home.

I turned around to see how my comrades were doing and saw Bruce walk in, avoiding contact with everyone, especially the guards by the door. I couldn't but smile at his instincts to hide. That feeling was something I could relate to. Captain Rogers walked forward, not quite coming out of his trance-like state of awe and handed Fury tip. _Oh boy…_

Fury took the money, not quite sure of what had just happened. Then, I guess he chose not to comment on it and walked away, shaking his head. Captain continued his walk up to balcony that oversaw the main room, coming to stand next to Maria, who just gave him a suspicious look. She doesn't like or trust the avengers and had no problem making that opinion clear. Rogers was oblivious to the hostility radiating from the woman next to him and continued to observe the working area.

Fury walked up to Bruce and offered a hand to shake. "Dr. Banner, thank you for joining us."

"Thank you for asking nicely," Banner stated. I smirked._ So sending 'pretty' girls to persuade him to join us is asking nicely?_ How typical of a man to think like that. I could easily have forced him, and I don't think he would have Hulked out on me, if he had the choice. No, that part of me which was scared of the monster is slowly ebbing away. I was scared of other aspects of him now. "So how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the tesseract, you may leave. We're doing facial recognition search right now," replied Fury.

"Thats still not gonna find him in time," I say, looking at a picture of Clint on a nearby screen. I frown, thinking about the state that he must be in. _He needed to be brought back._

Bruce then started talking about a more precise way that they could search for Loki, employing his favorite subject of gamma radiation as predictable. I just looked at him as he continued his spiel. He was a smart man, evidence of which I saw several times throughout our encounters and I admired his quick thinking. In my profession, it was impossible to respect anyone who wasn't intelligent. Or at the very least, it gave me a very small temperance for stupidity. Thanking, this was also a place where I encountered very little of it with the exceptions of when Tony Stark was around. As he spoke, Banner removed his jacket and confidence seemed to grow. This was something he knew. Guns and trained fighting? Not so much. But technology and knowledge enough to make you dizzy? I bet he would marry it if it turned into a girl. I came out of my train of thought just ask Banner asked, "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

"Agent Romanoff?" Fury turned to me. "Could you show Dr. Banner to his laboratory please?" I nodded and walked out the door, knowing Bruce would follow me.

"You're gonna love it Doc. We got all the toys," I say to him.

"Glad to hear it," He replies with a smile.

**Hey, this chapter is mostly movie-verse and fluff. I was gonna add another scene in but it would have gotten way too long so I ended up splitting it up and I'll finish the next chapter soon Thank you so much for the reviews! Muah, a kiss for each and everyone of you. As always, please continue to review and don't hesitate to give me suggestions or thoughts about where you think this story should go! **


	5. Secret Room

"Here it is." I turn and with a slight flourish wave to the lab set up for Bruce. He comes forward with a curious expression and walks around the room. I watch him as he carefully inspects the various gadgets and equipment. He finishes a quick tour of the room and comes and stands before me, apparently pleased.

"It's great. You're right. The toys are wonderful," he says. I smile and am about to walk away when hesitantly, Bruce reaches out and grabs my arm, stopping me. "Natasha, would you like to have lunch with me? I don't really know anyone else on this boat…" I was about to turn it down in a heartbeat but his oddly innocent face looked so hopeful. How harmful could a lunch be right? Then I cleared my head. _Keep my distance. Stay cool and informal._ So I just smile and say, "Maybe after we've caught Loki and gotten the tesseract back." He nods and goes to a computer and immediately starts work. Wow, I didn't think it would be that easy. To be honest, I thought he would be more disappointed…

Seriously.

Am I _actually_ disappointed that he's not disappointed? Shaking my head to rid myself of the crazy notion, I exit the room and go to meet Maria.

"Yes. And then he says he's _not_ sorry! And then later at the plane, he decides to 'start over' and we re-introduced ourselves. To be completely honest, I felt like I was back I high school, I've never met such a childish man before." I finish to Maria. She is busy working away but I know she is listening by the occasional nods and glances she gives me. She looks up at the end of my rant and cocks an eyebrow, wearing a knowing smile that never really bode me well. She didn't say anything but just looked at me, with that expression. Immediately, I get on my guard. "What?" I ask defensively. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

She purses her lips to hold back the smile but I know her too well to think she doesn't want to talk about it. Sighing, I say, "Okay. Just spit it out. I promise I might not bite."

Laughing, she continues to tap away at the screen but starts talking. "Okay, fine. I think something is up, that's all. First of all, it is completely _not_ like you to let a guy kiss you and get away with it. Second of all, he's totally getting under your skin and its too much fun to see you get this agitated. That doesn't happen easily. Lastly, this is the most I've heard you talk about a guy so _passionately_ since that time with Mike or Clint. And we know all know you don't want to go back there…"

I stare at her dumbfounded, refusing to see where she was going. "Yeah. I'm talking passionately about how much I _hate_ him! That's nothing like what was going on with Mike! Or like what Clint and I ha-had!" I stuttered a little at the end, but Maria, focusing on the screen in front of her didn't notice the hesitation. I felt bad about hiding things from my closest friend but there was no such thing as telling all your secrets. _No one_ is allowed to have that much power over me.

"Well, either way, you should look into it. He seems like a sweet guy. Besides, the, you know, angry green monster bit," She grinned at this. _Ha. Ha. Everyone is a comedian here. _

I paused for a little bit before saying, "He asked me out to lunch." She looked up to see my expression and I put on my famous poker face. But she knew how I am guessed, "Turned him down?" I nodded, keeping my eyes on the screen in front of me. She didn't say anything for a while and we both continued on with our work. Just as I was about to leave for a coffee break, she spoke up, "You should have said yes." I looked at her questioningly. "To Dr. Banner. We don't get a lot of dating opportunities at SHIELD and I think you guys would be good for each other." I shake my head sadly and walk to the cafeteria.

_It's been a few days since we've arrived at the ship and we are closer than ever to getting lock on Loki. It was night time and I was in my favorite spot, a glass room to the back of the ship that that was shaped like a U, and the wall all in front of you (except the one with the door leading into this room) was all glass, allowing you to see the land below if the clouds permitted. The ceiling was also glass so you could watch the sky if you wished. But I wasn't interested in stars right now. Lying on my stomach, I was near the window, just watching the lights below. I felt so alone, but that was the way I preferred it. Stay away, no one can hurt you. All my life I've gotten close to people, but that has never ended well. They've either used me, or lied to me, or just found some way to hurt me. People in general are just terrible. So why am I here? If I hate people so much, why do I work in an organization that aims to help humans and keep them safe? Because this is where I am safest too. And besides, humans may be cruel, but I've done worse things in my time. I suppose I owe it to them. To humanity. _

Lost in thoughts, I didn't register the door opening to my secret hiding place. Belatedly, I jumped up and pulled out my gun, pointing it at the unwary person that just wandered into my private place. Bruce jumped back, holding his hands up and dropping a basket that gave a thud as it fell to the ground. He looked genuinely surprised to see me there but I took my time in lowering my weapon. I was angry, this was my place! No one ever comes here! And I finally found the time to get away from everyone and here he comes, barging in with his sheepish smile and innocent face. _Good lord, why can't I ever seem to remember that there is a monster in this man?_

"What are you doing here?" I asked harshly. I don't like being taken by surprise.

"Uhm. I've been coming here to eat dinner every night since I came on the ship. So technically, I should be asking _you_ that," He said defensively. However, he seemed at ease as he crossed the small room and plopped down next to me. He proceeded to open up the basket and pull out various foods. My stomach grumbled at the sight but I didn't know what to do. He apparently wasn't going to leave. So was I supposed to? That made me mad. He can't just barge in here and except me to leave just because he's been using this room for a few days. This was _my secret place_. _My own. _ I opened my mouth to say something when I was interrupted with, "Sit down. I promise I won't hulk out on you. Or try to kiss you." He looked up with a smile and I couldn't help but smile back. Reluctantly, I sat down and peered around at the food he brought. It was just a simple picnic style dinner but it smelled delicious.

"Now, I wasn't expecting company but I always bring extra food, lucky for us," he said. I smiled gratefully. Gingerly, I pick up a sandwich and take a bite. Smoked turkey. _My favorite._ Eagerly picking up the food now, we talked about nothing in particular. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed his company. He was cynical in everything he spoke about and he seemed to understand that I was not a woman of many words. He didn't pry and everything we approached a topic that I was wary about (which was overly common) he was subtly change the topic and we would move along. I found out that he graduated high school by the age of 12 and went on to get degrees in various genres very early on in life. We never really hit on the exact number, but I'm pretty sure he was really old from what he told me. But then again, I wasn't one to talk. For some reason, no one ever questioned my age but I was similar to Captain America in the aspect that I too was injected with certain types of serum at a young age. This has helped prolong my age and give me enhanced abilities. SHIELD does not know of this…it was not created by then. But my body and mind stay at the age of 27 forever and always. Hopefully I can die. Staying on this earth forever is a daunting prospect.

I didn't tell Bruce any of these things about me. He didn't need to know. And honestly, I didn't want to add any more reasons in his mind to show that we are similar. Slowly, the food disappeared and we ended lying on our backs, looking out the ceiling to the stars ahead. I had refused the wine, it was silly to even consider alcohol right now but a feeling of calmness over took me and I was very…_content_. The topic slowly ventured to our past love life. I was shocked to learn that he had been married before. Why was that so surprising?

"Did you love her?" I asked. I don't even know why I cared.

"Yes. She was pregnant with my child when she died," His voice turned hard and anger glinted behind his eyes. Goosebumps rose on my skin as I realized that the Hulk was very close to the border right now. I had to calm him down somehow. Distract him.

"Uh. Well. Atleast she loved you. My husband pretended to die so that he could go join a secret organization. I thought I was actually a widow for many years," I blurted out. _ Oh my god. What the hell? I haven't told ANYONE about that! _ I was mad. I wished I could take those words back. This strange and dangerous man does not deserve to know my deepest most painful secrets. I wanted to run away. Instead, I turned my head away from him, not baring to be able to look into his shocked face. The anger was still there.

"What? How could someone do that to you? My wife didn't have a choice. But your…no…" I turned at his voice, which suddenly got strained as he clenched up, hands over his face. My heart was beating so loudly as I looked at him. My life was in danger. Oh gosh, I wanted to distract him, but I guess talking about my ass of an ex-husband wasn't the way to go with that. I put my hands on top of his and gently pulled them away, I ignored the little resistance I was met with. My voice was calm, completely opposite to how I was feeling.

"Bruce. Bruce. _Look at me." _I hissed. He opened his eyes and he looked lost. I was leaning over him now, our chests pressed together. There was barely a recognition before he grunted and scrunched up his eyes again. Without thinking, I leaned down and pressed my lips against his. _Distraction. I need to distract him._ I felt him jerk with surprise under me, but slowly, he relaxed and the tension in his lips disappeared, followed by a different kind of force. We were moving into each other, the kiss building with a kind of heat I couldn't have imagined possible. Bruce placed his hands on my back and my hands found their way into his hair. I knew I should pull back, we were safe now. But I _couldn't. _ I moaned lightly into his mouth and he responded with a passion that blew me away. I felt his tongue on my lips, asking to be let in and suddenly I pulled back. _ What the hell was I doing?_

I got up off him and stood, facing my back to him. My hand was at my lips, and my face was probably mirroring the shock I felt. I was shaking. Fear, adrenaline, and pure _lust_ were coursing through me. I shook my head. This wasn't right.

"..Natasha?" I heard behind me? Poor Bruce. This wasn't right. I turned slowly.

"I have- I have to go." I said. He stood up quickly and walked to stand in front of me.

"Wait, what? No! Stay. I'm so sorry, was that too fast for you?" He looked so sad. And he was _pleading_ with me…I swear I could hear my heart breaking.

Shaking my head, I took a step away from him, toward the door. "No, Bruce. _I'm _sorry. This is not right. I, I just can't."

He mirrored my step and demanded, "Why not?"

I fully turned to face him and looked him straight in the eye. "Because I am seeing Clint. My top priority is to get my boyfriend back." With that, I turned and walked out of the room. I don't think I will ever forget the look on Bruce's face.

**Ahhhh! Surprisee! I know, you guys are probably super pissed at me…but this is angst remember? Let me know what you think! And I am soso sorry for the late update. The long weekend was absolutely insane and it being the last real week of school, I barely have time to do homework, let alone this! As always, reviews will always be appreciated. I hope this chapter was worth the wait I LOVE YOU ALL FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND ALERTS I'VE RECIEVEDD!**


	6. After the Kiss

Breathing hard, with my heart still thumping, I find my way back to my room. My mind was racing and just imagining the look of shock on Bruce's face was enough to make me want to run back to him and take it all back. Then, just realizing what I had said, I stopped short and froze, my hand on the knob to my door. _Why would I want to take it back?_ Sure, I might be attracted to Bruce. But that was because of the air of mystery around him and I can never resist trying to figure something out. But Clint, Oh Clint. I missed him so much! When I was with him, I was comfortable, happy. I didn't have to worry about confusing emotions; I knew that I wanted to be with him. It made sense. It was right.

Going with Bruce would never work out. And I can't do that to Clint. The amazing Hawkeye actually had a sensitive heart and I owed it to him. There was nothing in the world that could make me hurt someone who saved my life. Maybe I'll tell you guys about how it even happened…

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my thoughts as my ever-present earpiece rang with Fury's voice. "Agent Romanoff, we have a location on Loki. We are sending Captain. You're flying." With an affirmative, I headed straight away to pilot station to get my gear. In less than 5 minutes, I had my super spy outfit on and I felt good to be doing something. I would get my Hawkeye back and he'll make me feel better about all this.

xxxxxxxxx

Within two hours, we reached Stuttgart and found Loki already creating a mess. He was rounding all the party goes in a circle as thought herding cows and was speaking to them. I grimaced as I saw a lone man stand up and speak to Loki. My respect and fondness for that man was great as I saw that he managed to anger Loki enough to get him to raise his spear. "Captain," I said.

"Already on it," He replied, jumping out of the jet and landing with ease in front of the old man just in time to block the jet of blue light that shot out of Loki's scepter.

A few seconds passed and the two managed to exchange a few words. Getting impatient with waiting, I took the reflection panels off the jet and allowed the plane to appear. Clicking away at buttons and opening up the big guns to point at Loki, I spoke into the microphone so that he could hear me. "Loki, drop the weapon and _stand down._" As expected, he aimed at the jet and shot so quickly that I almost didn't pull away fast enough. When I looked back at the scene, I saw that Loki and Captain were going at each other and none seemed to be getting the upper hand. However, the Captain was only human, super soldier or not. He would get tired eventually and did not possess super powers. I tried to take aim at Loki but couldn't. "The guy's all over the place," I muttered to no one in particular.

Randomly, I heard music that was not to my particular taste and a distinct voice that I could recognize anywhere. "Agent Romanoff, you missed me?" I looked up in confusion but couldn't keep a slow smile from forming on my face. I rolled my eyes as he hacked into the system and overrode the PA system, blaring his obnoxious music over my speakers.

The music distracted the fighting men below and I doubted that either the alien God or the timeless hero recognized it. Like a jet of lightning, the Iron Man appeared from my side and shot at Loki, knocking him down. Tony always was a blunt man, I guess he didn't feel the need to make a statement like Captain did.

Having been knocked down from the attack, Loki didn't bother getting back up. I frowned slightly, why didn't he try to fight back? Tony stood up with all the pomp that was completely predictable of him and displayed his guns and weapons. "Make your move, Reindeer games," he said.

_Nice name calling Tony_. I smirked and couldn't help but feel embarrassed for him. What a fool.

However, the smile slipped off my face as Loki slowly held up his hands in surrender and his Asgardian armor disappeared. Tony, self assured that no other response could have happened, said, "Good move." I shook my head. _Was Loki actually intimidated? _No, this doesn't make sense. Oh well, less trouble for us.

The people cleared away and I safely landed the jet. Tony and Steve held both of the arms of Loki and pushed him into the plane and I immediately took off. I was anxious to get this villain back to base as soon as possible. A few minutes later, Fury checked in again asking, "Sayingg anything?"

I grimaced with dislike as I answered, "Not a word." _ Why was he keeping so silent? Shouldn't he be spouting some bull crap about how he's far superior than us and all that? _ Not that I'm not grateful for the silence, but the reason behind it was a little mysterious. The Captain voiced my thoughts and he said uneasily how he didn't like it. Tony, far more confident (or arrogant as some might see it), disagreed and felt that maybe this was just it. I tuned out as the argument turned into Tony's jealousy at Steve's apparent unending youth. Growing old does not suit Tony at all…

My thoughts were even more distracted from their conversation as thunder light the sky and the plane rocked unsteadily.

"Where is this coming from?" I wondered. I glanced back and saw both Captain America and Iron Man looked confused. Behind them, Loki just looked apprehensive. The previously calm man had a nervous look about him.

Captain seemed to have noticed this too as he asked Loki, "What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?"

Loki's face remained apprehensive, though he didn't seem intimidated by the larger man. "I'm not overly fond of what follows." He glanced back up through the windows at the lightning sky. I followed his gaze and comprehension was slowly dawning. This wasn't the first time SHIELD has had to deal with unusual lightning…

Just as I was piecing two and two together, a thud shook the plane and we all felt something land on the roof. I worked to keep the plane steady as Tony stepped into action, placing his helmet back on and opening the end of the jet.

"What are you doing?" yelled Steve. Before any reply could come, an abnormally large man with stranger armor landed on the open flap of the exposed jet. Tony raised his hand to take aim but before he could even shoot, The mystery man that I now recognized to be Thor shot out his hammer. It his Tony square in the chest and he flew backward, landing on his back. Thor crossed to Loki in one stride and grasped him by the neck, not paying attention to the sounds of discomfort that the other man was giving off. His hammer shot back into his arm and he whirled it really fast. It somehow acted like a propeller and he flew away with Loki in arm like a puppy. All of this happened in a matter of seconds I would have missed it if I even looked away for a moment.

Tony apparently did not appreciate being thrown aside like a sack of potatoes and stood up warily. Sighing, he said, "And now there's that guy." I saw him take a step toward the exit and guessed his actions.

"Another Asgardian?" I asked shakily, still trying my best to steady the plane.

"Think that's a friendly?" asked Steve.

"Doesn't matter. If he frees Loki or kills him, the tesseract's lost," stated Tony before stepping toward the exit again.

"Stark! We need a plan of attack!" Said Steve. Tony continued to move forward, not willing to think rationally at this point.

"I have a plan," he replied. "Attack." _Damn. That was a good line. _ With that, he flew away, following the demigods. Not wanting to be left out of the action, Captain grabbed the nearest parachute and started buckling it on.

"I'd sit this one out Cap!" I suggested.

"I don't see how I can," He replied, continuing to harness himself up.

I tried to reason with him. "These guys come from _legend._ They're basically gods."

"There's only one God ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." With that, he turned and hooked his shield onto his arm and jumped out of the plan. I huffed in irritation. _ Fine. Let him deal with the horny super hero and overblown demigod. _ If Bruce were here, he'll be smart and sitting it out. Instead, he would be thinking of different ways he could get Loki to confess and trying to reason with Thor. He _definetly_ would not have tried to attack him like Tony. I shook my head. _Bruce is not here right now. _ I need to forget him, forget the kiss, and focus on the task at hand. Which, considering the plane was relieved of half its inhabitants, was pretty simple. We needed to watch over the situation and wait for either Loki to escape at which point I would take aim and attack, or for the men to come to terms and bring him back. Something told me Thor would not back off easily.

xxxxxxx

It took a while, but eventually the men calmed down enough, with help from Captain mainly. They returned to the plan and we made it back to the ship without any other activity. Everyone was silent the whole way.

xxxxxxx

I immediately headed to the briefing room and took my seat at the table. I watched Loki's progress through the ship to his cell with the security cameras. He passed by Bruce's room and smiled. I frowned at that. Bruce looked up, curious and hostile to the newcomer, taking his glasses off. Loki continued to smile at him, as though they had a private joke that was being fulfilled. Or like he was mocking him. Bruce looked on, confusion spread across his face; he reached up to his eyes and rubbed them slowly. He looked older in age, weary and tired. I felt a stab of guilt. I'm sure my actions definitely were not helping that.

The others came into the room one by one, as Fury talked to Loki. I watched on in the screen in front of me. My ears perked up as Loki mentioned that the cage he was held in was not meant for him. I felt goosebumps on my neck as I remembered the last time I had a conversation which included the cage. _Back in India, with Bruce. The first time I met him. The first time I kissed him._ And then Loki continued to ask how the beast was. I looked up, my eyes flicking to Dr. Banner. I was nervous, we hadn't talked at all since my abrupt departure a few hours earlier. He looked back at me, his expression calm. Surprised, I gazed at him a little longer than was appropriate. I didn't think he would look at him. I thought he would ignore me because of the hurt I inflicted on him. I turned away from Bruce as he looked back down at the screen, not being able to bear it anymore. Instead, I turned my gaze on Thor, who stood in an imposing stance, feet apart, arms crossed. However, one hand was held under chin and he listened to the conversation thoughtfully.

Within a few minutes, Fury was done and the screen grew blank on the ominous note. Just as the gloom started to spread, Banner broke the silence with, "He really grows on you doesn't he?" _For gods sake, he's smiling!_ I wonder if the shock of what I told him gave him brain damage…

"Loki's going to draw this out…So. Thor. What's his play?" asked Steve, ever the strategic man.

"He has an army called the Chitauri. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth, in return I suspect for the tesseract," stated Thor.

"An army," stated Steve flatly. "From outer space." No one was thrilled by this.

"So he's building another portal…" said Bruce. "That's what he needs Eric Selvig for."

"Selvig?" questioned Thor.

"He's an astrophysicist," provided Bruce.

"He's a friend," corrected Thor.

"Loki has them under some kind of spell," I said, trying to clear things up for Thor. The poor boy (man, god, demigod?) look concerned. "Along with one of ours." I added. I tensed up, avoiding eye contact with Bruce. I could feel his gaze on me but I didn't have to worry about that for long as Steve spoke up, asking about Loki's actions.

Bruce put in, "I don't think we should be worrying about Loki. That man's brain is a bag full of cats. I could _smell_ crazy on him."

"I do not care for how you speak. Loki is beyond reason but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother," said Thor. Oh boy Thor, you picked a bone with the wrong man. I'm pretty sure he assumed Bruce would be an easy man to run over.

"He killed 80 people in 2 days," I stated dryly. I was _not_ trying to defend Bruce. I was simply stating facts.

"…He's adopted," said Thor uncomfortably. _Ha. Ha. I am so amused_.

**Who's this crazy beyotch who's TERRIBLE at updating in a reasonable time? I'M SO SORRYYYY. And I tried to bring this chapter to a good end at least THREE TIMES but its just going and going :O so, I'm gonna just post this, even though it is not completed because I am **_**exhausted.**_** I have really good reasons for not posting until now, trust me. But anyways, I love you all SO SO SOSOSOSOSOSO MUCH for the reviews and alerts! They are the ONLY reason I'm still updating. I'm pretty sure I would have given up after the first chapter if I hadn't gotten such a positive feedback. Anyways, I love you all, I promise the story will pick up in the following chapters, this just was too important to leave out and I loved writing it because my story fits so awesomely with the movie it makes me cry :') I watched the movie as I was writing this so the little actions and emotions are **_**all there. **_**Buttt…things are probably going to change in the later chapters, I haven't yet decided. Should I stick exactly to the movie and keep developing the inside scenes or change things up entirely? Let me know! And now that its summer, I PROMISE I'll be better at updating…just not gonna be able to post tomorrow though :/ As always, please review, they are SOO motivating! Feel free to critique, I would love to improve and correct any mistakes I may be doing.  
OH and I am going to be doing a few chapters from Bruce's point of view so keep a look out for those :D**


	7. Chapter 6 and a half

Chapter 6.5

**Hi guys, don't hate me for the late update…life got in the way :/ But it feels SO good to be writing again. Lots of love to people who are putting this story on alerts and reviewing me! It means so much and gives me the push to find time for this story. Don't worry, my biggest pet peeve is an unfinished story, so this will not be one of those. I will finish…it just might take a while  
Shoutout to **ttzdrkpl**, **carmelcarmi**, and **The Captive **for putting me as a favorite author or on author alert in general. That really gave me such encouragement. **

"I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium, what do they need the iridium for?" questioned Bruce. He was thinking about the science of all this.

"It's a stabilizing agent," interrupted Tony as he walked in with Coulson. He turned back to Coulson and said in a lower voice, "Like I said, take a week off, I'll fly you to Portland." I rolled my eyes, no doubt he was trying to get Paul with the cellist he had a thing for. There is no way Fury will let precious Coulson out of his eyesight and command enough to pursue a _love interest. _ Leave it up to Tony to try to get some sex involved even in the middle of a crisis. Coulson uneasily nodded and walked to stand on the other side of the room. "Means. Portal 1 collapsed on itself like it did at SHIELD." Glancing around the room as he walked purposefully to the front of the circular table, he saw Thor standing in his path, looking confused. Perking up, Stark said, "No hard feelings point break, you gotta mean swing," reaching up and patting Thor's arm. He proceeded on to the front to address us all as the demigod turned with a bemused expression to the smallish man with an arrogance that could match his own.

Without skipping a beat, Stark continued to talk science. "_Also,_ it means the portal can open as wide and as long as Loki wants it to." _That's what she said._ Oh god, did I just think that? Stark is rubbing off on me. I shook my head slightly and tried to refocus on what Stark was saying. I tuned in again just as he said, "That man is playing Galaga. Thought we wouldn't notice…but we did," whiling pointing the poor fellow out with his hand. Steve looked over to see what he was talking about with a curious expression on his face.

Successfully getting our attention, Stark felt at ease to take his time in making his point. I watched his back with impatience as he paused and raised his left hand to cover his eye. Giving up two seconds later, he turns to Maria and asks, "How does Fury even see these?" motioning to the glass monitors in front of him.

She responded dryly, "He turns."

I smirked lightly, proud of my girl to not have been thrown of my Stark's fooling around. He humphed and said in a disinterested tone, "Sounds exhausting." Like a child at a candy store, he immediately lost interest in that topic and messed with the screens around him. Spewing science thoughts on what he thought Loki was looking for in order to kick start the cube, he looked perfectly at ease. I didn't even bother to try to understand the specifics of what he was saying. I'm pretty sure the only one who did understand was Bruce, who was listening intently a quick peep at him told me.

"When did you become an expert in thermo nuclear astro physics?" asked Maria skeptically. She didn't like Stark and wasn't afraid to show it.

"Last night," he answered promptly. _Ofcourse, child prodigy and all that_. Maria, despite her self, gave an interested tilt of her head, asking him to explain. "There's a packet. Physics notes. The extraction theory paper. Am I the only one who did the reading?"

"- Does Loki need any specific kind of power source?" cut in Steve with a question. He sounded just as impatient as I felt with Stark's dawdling and perhaps and little irked that he had not done the homework. He seemed to be the type of guy who would always be prepared.

"He'd have to heat the cube to a hundred twenty million Kelvin's to break through the Coulomb barrier," answered Bruce. Tony spread his arms around as though it was obvious and what he was trying to say all along.

"…Unless Subugus figured out how to stabilize the quantum affect," added Tony while walking toward his newfound science buddy.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy ion fusion at an reactor on the planet," said Bruce sarcastically, as though it was a silly yet desirable scientific discovery.

"_Finally,_ someone who speaks English!" said Tony, pointing at Bruce. I didn't look at him, so far, we had avoided any confrontation and I'd rather keep it that way and the best way to do that is to avoid contact of any sort.

"Is that what just happened…" muttered poor Steve who was still in his ridiculously tight Captain America uniform and looking around to see if anyone else was as confused as he was. Maria gave him a reassuring smile before turning her attention back to Stark and Banner.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work, on anti electron collisosis is unparalled. And, I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous rage monster," Tony said plainly.

I couldn't avoid it now, I had to look at him. I turned my head and looked as he grimaced and glanced down at the floor, then me, before reluctantly saying, "Thanks." Was he thinking of our last encounter? When he almost lost control and almost became an enormous rage monster…

I help back a shudder as I realized how close I was playing with danger. Sure, I had hurt his feelings now, but it would have been much worse if I told him later on when things got too involved that I was seeing someone else. Besides, Clint likes me, and it was something that would work out for the both of us. It's what was right. Gosh, I hope no one noticed his glance up at me…

Thankfully, the moment passed quickly as Fury suddenly appeared saying, "Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

**Bruce's POV (Point of View)**

I dove into work. Walking back to my lab with Stark, I tried to forget the past occurrences with the new problem at hand. The equations waiting to be solved, the answers that are just waiting to be found. Math and science, those are my solids in life. They will be there, always. Life, love, feelings, I've learned to put those away long ago. However, that small redhead brought out things in me I thought I buried long ago. Im not an emotional man at all. In fact, I am cynical, hard to be with, and down right pessimistic. But despite it all, with the arrogance that I cannot die, I become restless and at ease in situations that would break down a ground man to tears. I thought back to my first encounter with Natasha. She was so quick to point a gun at me…why was that attractive to me? Maybe it was because I hadn't met a women who was that brave…or that foolish. Or maybe she was just hiding behind a façade…afterall, she was the best actress SHIELD has. And lord knows I was fooled by her. Sure, I surprised her the first time with the kiss, but she hadn't kicked me off or resisted like I thought she would. And the second time, I _know_ she responded.

And then she goes and drops the bomb on me. In a relationship…with _Clint Barton._ I grimaced with distaste as I considered the fact that I was trying to find the guy who's keeping me from going for the first girl I liked in a long time.

Shaking my head again to rid myself of the final thoughts of how her soft lips felt against mine, and how her lithe body fit perfectly against me, I paid attention to Stark's light conversation. I even provided my input when Steve came in and somehow light was shed on the fact that Tony was trying to hack into they system. I didn't really care, after all, if SHIELD was hiding something from us, we needed to know. If there was nothing, then Tony was just wasting him time. But I had to agree, something is suspicious. Steve left in a huff and conversation turned to our strange afflictions. Still in a bitter mood from failing with Natasha, I was not in any mood to accept that _the otherguy_ was something to be grateful for. Still, Stark persisted, saying, "hm..or you'll suit up like the rest of us," in response to my comment that I'll be sitting in the sidelines when the others deal with Loki when the final showdown came down.

I huffed in dry humor and said, "You see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed, like a nerve." My nonchalant smile slipped away and the ever-present frown invaded my face again and I cast my eyes down on the floor, lost in my own thoughts. "It's a nightmare."

I turned my attention back to the screen, trying to organize my thoughts and only vaguely listened as Tony showed the similarities we have between each other with his own ailment and death that is always just inches away. I glanced up as he turned and stepped toward me, determined to get my attention. "This, stops it." He said, patting the glowing orb in his chest. "This little circle of light…it's part of me now," he stated matter of factly. "Not just armor." He finally stopped in front of me, standing behind the glass screen to get his point across. "It's a terrible priviledge."

"But you can _control _it," I say as though stating the obvious. Which I was…this is the problem. If no one had to be afraid of me, my life would be easier. I wouldn't hurt anyone, I would destroy cities, and it sure as hell wouldn't have been so easy for Natasha to turn me away. Sure she had a thing with Clint, but why would she kiss me if she still did? And didn't they say that if you like two guys, go for the second cus it means you didn't like the first one enough to stay faithful?

"Because I learned how to," Stark said, bringing me back to the conversation.

I brushed off his excuse with, "It's different," and attempted to get back to my work.

However, the stubborn man wasn't going to stand to be ignored and he cleared my screen. "Hey. I read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure _should_ have killed you."

I stared at the screen in front of me, and through it, at Tony. Just barely beside him, I could see the edge of my reflection…except, it wasn't me. My reflection no longer reflects Dr. Banner. Instead, all you can see is _the other guy._ I felt my nerves tighten up and my neck tense. My heart beat quickened at the reminder that once again I am never alone, always I will be accompanied by him. So, I said my response to my reflection, the hulk.

"So you're saying the Hulk…" I looked down with a bitter smile. He doesn't deserve a name. I looked back up and finished, "the other guy, saved my life." I nodded my head as though that was a pleasing notion. "That's nice. Nice sentiment. Saved it…for what?" To be cast aside as the monster that I am? To never be loved or cared about? Who would mourn my death? No one. Slowly, I felt the familiar anger boil and rise. But I kept it in check. I spoke to my reflection, I told my mind that he's _there._ He's not fighting me right now, trying to get out. _No._

But it was Tony that responded to my rhetoric question, "I guess we'll find out."

"You may not enjoy that," I warned.

"You just might," he responded.

Smiling just to humor him, I continued on with my work. Math, energy, location, rays. Focus, let the answer come to you. Forget worries, forget _him_. _Forget her. Forever. _

**The next chapter is coming up soon! And I promise I'll make it good And thank you for your input, I think I will stick to the story line too because it is so much fun trying to give meaning to the actor's expressions. PS the little insert about hulk's reflection is true! (or atleast I think it is…I saw it on tumblr and rewatched the scene and I believe it! Insanely cool huh?)**


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